What started in 1970 as a meeting place for young people has evolved into a beloved venue for folk, roots and Americana music.

On Nov. 7, Two Way Street Coffee House will celebrate its 45th anniversary with an afternoon of workshops and performances in 10 rooms at its home base, First Congregational Church of Downers Grove. That evening, there will be a concert in the church hall featuring celebrated performers Red Tail Ring, Lambert & Walz, Sons of the Never Wrong and Mark Dvorak, with special guests Don Stiernberg and John Abbey. The performance will be broadcast live on WFMT 98.7 FM.

Dave Humphreys, director of Two Way Street Coffee House, was one of the founders.

"Back in the Vietnam era, a lot of churches and other organizations were operating coffeehouses and drop-in centers for youth and young adults," Humphreys said. "There was a lot of mistrust, a lot of need in that age group, and hardly anybody providing any services for them."

Volunteers at Two Way Street Coffee House offered medical, housing, financial and legal services to the young people who dropped in. And, of course, there was music. Within 10 years, other organizations began providing these services and the coffeehouse became primarily a music venue, run by over 30 volunteers.

The coffeehouse is "a community project of the church. It's not a proselytizing kind of ministry," Humphreys stressed. "We are also part of a music community in the Chicago suburban area."

The programming is diverse — the venue hosts about 30 music and non-music events each month, with the best known being its Friday night concert series.

"We present professional entertainers every Friday night all year round," Humphreys said. "About half of the performers come from the Chicago area — a couple of hundred miles. We want to support the local performing scene. The other half come from all over North America and sometimes beyond."

Popular singer, musician and songwriter Mark Dvorak of Riverside has a long history with the coffeehouse.

"In 1982, someone told me about this little room in the basement of the First Congregational Church in Downers Grove," Dvorak related. "They were really nice and receptive and, in those days, they gave you $15 for playing three 20-minute sets. I loved it and they welcomed me back again and again and again."

At first, Dvorak performed there four or five times a year. As the venue's popularity grew, he was slotted once a year and then every other year.

"At one point," Dvorak laughingly recalled, "I called Dave (Humphreys) to get a date and he said, 'Mark, I think you've outgrown our room.'"

For the anniversary celebration, Dvorak and the other featured performers will work in a much larger space — 300 seats. He and his two guest artists will perform a number of original tunes plus standards from the 1930s and '40s. The evening will conclude with a sing-along, featuring all the performers.

"Over the years, Dave Humphreys and I have been part of our little western suburbs music scene and our grassroots effort to promote local folk music," Dvorak said. "I'm absolutely thrilled to be with him on the 45th anniversary. It's a great lineup and a great afternoon of workshops and performances."

Two Way Street Coffee House 45th Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, Nov. 7

1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove

Afternoon workshops and performances start at 2 p.m.; the evening concert is at 7:30 p.m.

$22 for all-day pass; $5 for afternoon sessions only; $20 for concert only